POTTERNE team manager Fred Kerley is urging his charges to keep their feet on the ground, despite taking a big step towards the Premier Two title last weekend.

The villagers stretched their lead at the top of the table to 18 points by claiming the scalp of title-rivals Taunton, with the Somerset outfit tasting defeat at home for the first time in almost two years.

With four matches of the season remaining, Potterne are in the driving seat as they look to secure top spot and a historic berth in the top division of the West of England Premier League – potentially their second promotion in three years – but Kerley, who is also the club’s chairman, doesn’t want his team to get ahead of themselves.

“We’re probably two or three years ahead of where we expected to be and getting into Premier One would be an incredible achievement for our club but I don’t want us to get carried away,” said Kerley.

“We’ve got four games to go and I wouldn’t want the players to get complacent.

“It was a great result on Saturday. Taunton hadn’t lost a game at home this season and they didn’t lose one last season either.

“Sahan (Wijerathne) and Ed Young batted well and Neil Clark probably had his best knock of the season. He’d been at the Great Western Hospital (in Swindon) for a scan on a potential fracture in his hand after a Wiltshire Wallop game the night before but still played.

“Then Benny Mason bowled a really good spell and Sahan took a few wickets too. It was a really good result for us, especially after losing to Keynsham the week before.”

Sahan Wijerthane (75) and Ed Young (54) helped drive Potterne to 296-9, with captain Neil Clark also battling through the pain barrier as he recorded a knock of 72.

The visitors then piled on the pressure with the ball and Taunton duly crumbled, with the efforts of Ben Phillips (42), Harry Popplewell (38*) and Bradley Lynch (37) proving in vain as the hosts were skittled for 205, Ben Mason taking 3-40.

Elsewhere, Goatacre slipped to a disappointing three-wicket loss to basement boys Shapwick & Polden, Tendai Maruma hitting 60 as the hosts were dismissed for 185.

Sam Edmunds (91) then drove the visitors to 191-7 early in the 48th over.